Robert Sevier Receives American Diabetes Association's Distinguished Service Award

-- Robert Sevier, MD, Presented with Addison B. Scoville, Jr. Award for Outstanding Volunteer Service --

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Nov. 19 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Diabetes Association (ADA), the nation's leading voluntary health organization in the fight against diabetes, announced today that Robert Sevier, MD, of Greensboro, North Carolina, received the Association's prestigious Addison B. Scoville, Jr. Award for Outstanding Volunteer Service. The award was presented at the organization's Community Volunteer Leadership Conference and Annual Meeting on November 17, in St. Louis, Missouri.

The Addison B. Scoville, Jr. Award for Outstanding Volunteer Service is named for Dr. Scoville, former President of the American Diabetes Association, and is given for outstanding service by a board or committee member.

"On behalf of the American Diabetes Association, we are delighted to present this prestigious award to Dr. Sevier," commented John Buse, MD, Ph.D., President, Medicine & Science, American Diabetes Association. "His contributions to the diabetes community and dedication to diabetes awareness directly support ADA's mission to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people living with diabetes."

A committed fund raiser in his home of Greensboro, Sevier has helped bring in more than $1 million for ADA through numerous local events, including the Matt Greene Golf Classic and Father of the Year awards dinner. He has served in numerous ADA leadership roles locally and regionally as well as on several national committees and the national Board of Directors.

Sevier received his Medical degree from the UNC School of Medicine and completed training in Internal Medicine and Endocrinology/Metabolism at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center and at UNC. In practice in Greensboro for 33 years, he treated both adults and children with diabetes and other endocrine diseases, while remaining actively engaged in training medical students, resident physicians and other health-care professionals. He currently serves as a medical consultant to Healthways, a disease management company.

Diabetes is a serious disease that affects the body's ability to produce or respond properly to insulin, a hormone that allows blood sugar to enter the cells of the body and be used for energy. Nearly 21 million children and adults have diabetes. At least 54 million have pre-diabetes. Diabetes is the fifth leading cause of death by disease in the United States and it has no cure.

The American Diabetes Association is the nation's premier voluntary health organization supporting diabetes research, information and advocacy. The Association's mission is to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes. Founded in 1940, the Association provides services to hundreds of communities across the country. For more information please call the American Diabetes Association at 1-800-DIABETES (1-800-342-2383) or visit http://www.diabetes.org. Information from both these sources is available in English and Spanish.